My 3-year-old granddaughter, Zoey, has been fascinated by the moon for a long time now. I wanted to help extend that interest with some new activities based on her current favorite activities. Zoey spends time with playdough every day, so I decided to prepare a special Montessori-inspired phases-of-the-moon playdough tray.

Choosing the Activities

When you’re looking for activities to focus on with your child, it’s always important to observe your child’s interests. Zoey’s interest in the moon is something I’ve especially enjoyed extending. Talking about moon phases has already become a long-running activity of ours. And we had Montessori-inspired moon activities previously that she’s loved. I focused on Zoey’s current interest in playdough activities and music to add a couple of new activities.

Astronomy Materials We’ve Used Recently

Basket with glow-in-the-dark planets to show where the earth is in the solar system (doesn’t contain the moon). This was one of the activities I used during toilet learning. Zoey loved to go into the bathroom, have me expose the basket of planets to the light, and then turn out the lights to watch the planets glow in the dark.

Pocket Hugg-A-Planet Earth and Moon – 2 Piece Bundle Set

Zoey’s always loved our Pocket Hugg-A-Planet Earth and Moon. I use the earth as our globe, which is always on the shelf. The moon is easily stored and a nice addition to our astronomy works.

Moon Orbiting the Earth Activity

Tiptoeing around the Earth with the Moon

We previously had fun using the Pocket Hugg-A-Planet Earth and Moon for Zoey to demonstrate the moon orbiting the earth. It was even better with the lovely song “The Moon” from Nancy Kopman’s Shadow Album (also on iTunes). This time, we focused on large motor movement, with Zoey first walking around the earth and then tiptoeing around the earth as the earth’s “natural satellite.”

Phases-of-the-Moon Playdough Activity

There’s a very popular Oreo cookie activity to show the phases of the moon (see my Montessori-inspired moon activities post for details). I wanted a similar activity that would be healthy and could be repeated over and over again. I decided that the playdough from our winter math playdough tray would work perfectly.

Making Playdough Circles for Phases-of-the-Moon Activity

First, Zoey rolled out the playdough and cut 7 circles for the phases of the moon (minus the new moon).

Cutting Playdough Circle into a Phase of the Moon

Then it was time to cut the circles into phases of the moon. Zoey loves to play games where we take turns. So Zoey and I took turns cutting out the moon phases. I made sure my turns included the crescent moon shapes. I demonstrated how to cut the crescent shape so that Zoey could repeat it on her own later.

Admiring Her Phases-of-the-Moon Playdough Work

This ended up being a fun hands-on way to reinforce phases of the moon. Zoey was very proud of her work. We now have our phases-of-the-moon playdough tray on the shelves until it’s time to prepare a new spring tray.

More Moon Activities and Resources for Toddlers and Preschoolers

I have LOTS and LOTS Of moon activities you can introduce to your toddler or preschooler. You’ll have the best luck if you remember to observe your child regularly and use your observations to choose activities for your child’s needs and interests.

The Montessori at Home! eBook and Montessori at Home! eBook and Materials Bundle are AMAZING resources! You can learn more about them here. Buy them in the Living Montessori Now shop.

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The activities shared on this blog require adult supervision at all times. You know which activities are appropriate for your children and/or the children under your care and are responsible for those children's safety.